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Neuroscientists Debunk Myth that People are Either Left- or Right-Brained

Neuroscientists Debunk Myth that People are Either Left- or Right-Brained

For years people have thought that one brain hemisphere dominates personality traits and cognition. This led to the belief that “left-brained” individuals are more logical and analytical, while “right-brained” individuals are more creative, fluid, and intuitive.

Neuroscientists from the University of Utah performed a two-year study that examined brain activity to debunk the myth that people are either left-brained or right-brained.

The study consisted of 1,011 individuals between ages seven and 29 representing different personality types. The use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) allowed scientists to view 7,000 different regions of the brain. Researchers analyzed brain functional lateralization for each individual. Lateralization refers to brain activity specific to one side of the brain. Results showed no evidence of individuals having a stronger brain activity network in one brain hemisphere versus the other. Rather, certain mental processes are specific to one side of the brain. The left side of the brain includes connections associated with language and perception, while the right side of the brain is associated with attention.